The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-12-05
THE OLD FOSTER RANCH.
A Poor English sailor Becomes the
Lord of n Hundred Thousand Acres
in California.

Lord OF Hundred Thousand Acres
I'm California.
When travelling from Los Angeles to San
Diego some days ago, says Tucson letter to
The New York World, | saw from the car
window the residence buildings Of the famous
Foster ranch which lies at the mouth OF the
canyon down which the Santa Fe railroad
passes In order to reach the scacoast. San
Diego Is fifty miles down the coast The
Foster ranch is typical OF the old style. us
appearance at once carries me back TO the
days of the Spanish and Mexican regime. 1t
embraces 100000 acres up and down the can
you, through which flows a pretty little
stream into the Pacific ocean. The ranch
lands begin high up amid rocky deilles and
precptous lodges, while the lower border
skirts along the broad, level beach, on which
falls forever the moan Of the incoming and the
outgoing tides At its lower end the valley
is probably five miles wilde, but 1t rapidly
contracts In the direction of the mountains,
and at the venerable old ranch-house is not
more than three hundred yards wide. The
The clear stream that triclSles down over
white sandy bed could anywhere be cleared
by the single leap OF l0-year-old boy; but
In southern California, where water is so
scarce, the control Of such an insignificant ry-
ulet is a great fortune. There is fringe OF
green grass and shrubbery along either bank,
and 1t is upon the apparently sparse growth
that the cattle and horses live during the dry
season. A Kentucky bluegrass farmer would
look with contempt on such limited supply
for such herds OF consumers but one must
learn that the stock ranges OF California ana
the Pacific slope generally are of different
character altogether from those of Kentucky
or any of the states east Of the Mississippi.
Filds or green grass, snch as there are In
Kentucky, Ohio and New York, are unknown
In California during the dry season.
From the ranch building down to the end OF
the ranch, where the road turnes down the
coast, the train passed successive herds of
ong-horned, picturesque cattle feeding on the
short, stumpy grass, and ragged bushes. IL
was such scene as one might have beheld
there three centurys ago. The Spanish came
TO San Diego as early as 1912, but 1t was not
till 1863 that they effected a permanent settle
ment and established the first Of the Catholic
missions. The Spanish and MeXicans held
uninterrupted sway over all California till the
opening of the Mexican war, and there was
period of their control when the country was
a verltable Arcadia for cattle.growers. TWAS
back In the golden period that this Foster
ranch was founded, the original owner being
a Spanlard, OF course, and having the land
given him for some special service to the
church or state Nearly all the rich grazing
and agricultural districts of California were
granted away to individuals during the Span
sh and Mexican control, aud these immense
ranches were established all over the state.
Many of these prlncely possessions haye dis
tinct place in California history, NOT only be-
cause Of their vast extent and the great herds
Of cattle that grew on them with little more
care or restraint than the grass they trampled
under theii fuei, but because OF the heroic
and intrepid character often belonging to
their owners. The land In these Tanches is
now so valuable 1t is being divided and subdi-
yided in.j small tracts and sold for small
farms and fruit orchards. The Foster ranch
Is one OF the old regime that has not yet been
desecrated by the hand Of the land Spectator,
but exists in all its original semi barbarlc
granduer.
did not sec It without saddcned reflections.
There is something touchlngly pathetic in the
decay OF Spanish civilization on the Pacific
coast One feels IL when looking at the ruins
of the old mission churches OF San Gabriel,
San Juan Capistrano, San Buenavneutra and
many others along the Pacific coast between
San Diego and San Francisco. The Spanish
pioneers who originally came into California
were as brave and generous a class OF people
as ever dared to undertake the settlement and
cultivation OF new country. They were also
of a kindly nature and generous and hosplta-
BILE as the very air of heaven and unsuspect-
ing of lreachery and deceit Their natures
were simple and honest. They treated the
Indians with such kindness that nearly all the
tribes came into churches and learned to fol
low the peaceful avocations OF civilized lie.
The old Spanish ranch life OF California was
as romantic and fascinating as the old planta-
tion life of the south. Neither was destined
to continue In the face OF an irresistible
growth Of Anglo Saxon ideas and business
projects and the remnants OF each with all
their interesting memories will soon he entire
" swept away.
The train passed within haling distance of
the Foster house. IL is long, wide one-story
structure OF whitewashed adobe walls The
expansive roof comes down TO within few
feet OF the ground on either side and deep
portico extends all along the south front
There Is an absence OF all architectural dis |
play but the building is imposing and im- |
pressing In its magnitude and the severely OF
It's outlines. Under its broad roof there Is |
room enough for feudal retInue. The builder |
had an adequate conception OF the fitness oil |
things, and his castle was In accord with his |
hundred thousand acres ! could envy the /
original owner Of this house aud domain us he |
stood on his portico and looked away over his
possessions TO the llimitablc ocean and count
ed his cattle by the ten thousand. An ample |
stable stands near by that could give shelter |
10 hundred horses at once, and many a
traveller from the south to the north has found
welcome there In days gone By, when railroads
were unknown and when not even stage
coaches had been introduced. Every traveller
then was a horseman, aud to ride from San
- -
holiday pastime. What festive scenes have
been enacted about this old mansion The